Swimmers Lane. Coach Travis Welcomes New Coaches. KATY Aquatics

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1 KATY Aquatics Swimmers Lane Coach Travis Welcomes New Coaches NEWSLETTER: JANUARY 2014 VOLUME 4, ISSUE 6 Upcoming Dates to Remember: January 29 Swim-A-Thon Sponsorship Packages available January 31 - February 2 Mardi Gras Meet at LSU in Baton Rouge February 15 Short Course Champs III February Short Course Champs I February 28 March 2 Short Course Champs II February 22 March 2 Sectionals Important Information: Do you have questions about your Account? billing@katyaquatics.org Do you have questions about Service Hours? servicehrs@katyaquatics.org Do you have questions about Team? info@katyaquatics.org I am extremely excited to announce the addition of two new staff members to our growing staff, Coach Andrew Korda and Coach Justin Brosseau. Coach Andrew Korda, has accepted the position to be our High Performance Coach as well as Director of Competitive Swimming and Skill Development. Coach Justin Brosseau, has accepted the position to be Director of Competitive Curriculum and will also be a High Performance Coach as well as the 14 & Under Elite Lead Coach. I am extremely excited to add these professionals to our staff and share their credentials and coaching experience with the team. Coach Andrew Korda is coming back to KATY after spending the last 7 years as the Head Coach of the City of Midland Aquatics swimming program, and the Head Age Group Coach at Cy-Fair Swim Club. Korda is a graduate of Katy High School, and adds these accolades to many others he has earned over the years, including developing National and Olympic Trial qualifiers as well as developing a National Age Group (NAG) number one ranking athlete. As Head Age Group Coach, Korda helped KATY Aquatics grow into top ten placements at TAGS (Texas Age Group Swimming), including several individual champions. He has also coached NCSA Junior National finalists, Speedo Junior National finalists, and National finalists. Coach Andy has previously spent 6 years on the Gulf Swimming Board as Age Group Chair, Safety Chair, and At Large Member. He also has been three time Gulf Head Zones Coach, two time Gulf All Star Head Coach, and the 2012 West Texas Head Zones Coach. Korda is enthusiastic and passionate about advancing our Age Group program by applying his remarkable talent and focus on the technical aspects of swimming with his attention to detail. Korda and his wife, Lisa have a son named Jayden. Coach Justin Brosseau has spent the last 6 seasons coaching at the NCAA Division 1 level and is excited to bring his knowledge and passion for the sport to KATY Aquatics! Since beginning his coaching career in 1999, Justin has developed beginners up to Olympic Trial qualifiers and internationally ranked Top 100 athletes. He has always been focused on not only developing great athletes, but great citizens. His programs have excelled both in the pool and in the classroom. During his college coaching career, he was part of multiple teams that were recognized as CSCAA All-American Academic programs 11 times (achieving a team GPA above 3.0). In the pool, these programs collected 1 NCAA Division 2 national title, 3 NCAA Division 1 conference championships, and several national Top 25 rankings, along with multiple NCAA All-Americans at both the Division 1 and 2 levels. During his time at Springfield Aquatics, he was part of a program that consistently was a Top 5 finisher at the Missouri Valley LSC championships, produced multiple athletes who achieved NAG Top 16 times, and developed many athletes who have continued their careers at the collegiate level. He graduated from Missouri State University with a degree in English and is currently pursuing a Master s in Sports Administration from Missouri State University as well. Justin and his wife Kate married in May of 2012 and are excited to become part of the Katy community! I want to personally welcome both of these talented Coaches to our team and thank all of our KATY Aquatics families for your continued support as I am looking forward to great new beginnings for the Team! Sincerely, Coach Travis

2 VOLUME 4, ISSUE 6 PAGE 2 Coaches Corner: The Mindset of Working to Just Get Better As you can imagine there are numerous keys to the concept of growth mindset. First and foremost, it is important for us to understand that it is overwhelmingly easy in sport and competition to create or fall back into a fixed mindset. Based upon pressures and our culture to achieve, little time is afforded to actual learning and developing. In so many ways today, failure is not considered an option. Failure is equated to setting one's sights on being inferior in skill, ability and talent. Too often the typical response to failing a challenge is blaming oneself for the failure. Eventually, subsequent failures can create a depressed feeling about one's participation in the sport of swimming. Finally after several perceived failures, an athlete often gives up trying altogether. This is what Martin Seligman's classic research terms "learned helplessness." All too often we see emotions taking over after a perceived failure when an athlete will get out of the pool, throw his/her goggles down in disgust and stomp off to sulk. Competitors with a fixed mindset under challenging situations often pay too much attention to how they feel (stressed, anxious, etc.). These feelings then get in the way of growing, learning and developing new skills. On the other hand, those willing to adopt a growth mindset sees failure as a non-threatening setback. Each setback is then viewed as a learning opportunity. The growth mindset does not think of a setback in a challenging situation as a failure. Dweck explains, "... for children with a growth mindset, success is about stretching themselves. It's about becoming smarter." In fact, the growth mindset does not attempt to find blame for the consequences of poor play or performance, but instead keeps putting forth more effort with the objective of ultimately succeeding. Another strategy that separates the two mindsets when perceiving challenging events is that growth mindset competitors implement task or mastery goals whereas fixed mindset individuals create outcome or performance goals. By nature, mastery goals are typically within the control of the competitor whereas outcome or performance goals are not. The idea is to make sure the athlete understands the importance of the growth mindset process. All too often, athletes want to "leap" straight to the top and do not pay attention to the details that get them there. They are not held accountable for the long, hard hours of work that go into reaching that point. And even if they get there, they are not willing to put forth the additional effort to remain there. For growth mindset athletes, the focus is all about the process by taking stock in mastery or task goals. Encouraging failure as a good thing and promoting future risk taking is important when prioritizing mastery or task goals over outcome (timed) goals. All coaches and athletes should create an environment of accepting challenges and overcoming setbacks. Post-race thoughts should be pro-active (what was learned?) not reactive (how do I feel?). In conclusion, by viewing participation and competition from a growth mindset, the challenge of striving to succeed can actually be captivating, motivating and fulfilling. Article written by Kurt Kirner, Head Swim Coach and Assistant Professor of Physical Education at Hillsdale College, MI Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall. Confucius

3 An Illustration of Fixed vs. Growth Mindset By: Nigel Holmes

VOLUME 4, ISSUE 6 PAGE 4 Just Keep Swimming for Swim-A-Thon 2014! On Saturday, March 22 nd, KATY Aquatics will be participating in USA Swimming s National Fundraising Event, Swim-A-Thon.

4 VOLUME 4, ISSUE 6 PAGE 4 Just Keep Swimming for Swim-A-Thon 2014! On Saturday, March 22 nd, KATY Aquatics will be participating in USA Swimming s National Fundraising Event, Swim-A-Thon. This is our biggest fundraiser of the year where our competitive athletes will swim to help raise funds for the team as they complete 200 laps in two (2) hours! This year, all swimmers will receive a specially designed KATY Aquatics T-shirt and Swim Cap just for participating on the day of Swim-A-Thon! Our Goal for 2014 is to have 100% Swimmer Participation and Raise $100,000 for the Team!!! In an effort to help reach our Goal, 1 Service Hour will be given for every $100 raised over the mandatory $100 family minimum*, and members can start fundraising TODAY through Swim-A-Thon Sponsorship opportunities. *Each family is required to raise a minimum of $100 for Swim-A-Thon. If your family is able to raise the minimum, or more than the minimum, you will not be charged a Swim-A-Thon fee in May. If your family is only able to bring in a portion of the $100 minimum, your account will only be billed for the remaining difference. A copy of the Swim-A-Thon Corporate Sponsorship Packet, along with a formal club letter, can be found by clicking on the link below. The packet is also available on our website under the Fundraising tab Swim-A-Thon Corporate Sponsorship Packet Please print the packet and take it to your family doctor, favorite restaurant, or employer. Many businesses in our community get excited for the opportunity to support local athletes. Encourage your friends and families to support KATY Aquatics. A donation made through our Swim-A-Thon event will help support the Team s ultimate goal of expanding our programs and building our own 50 meter pool in the Katy area. We will be collecting Swim-A-Thon Sponsorships through February 28 th, Official Fundraising will start later in February and last through April 2 nd. Teams and Informational Packets are set to be distributed to the swimmers in the next few weeks. Swim-A-Thon is also a great way to earn those service hours! Place March 22 nd on your calendars; many opportunities to earn service hours will be posted as we get closer to the event. We will need lap counters, food donations, set-up crews, clean-up crews, and much more! Be sure to watch your for available job sign-ups. Please feel free to swimathon@katyaquatics.org should you have any questions regarding Swim-A-Thon or our fundraising efforts. Remember, we are all in this together. Let s get out there and help our athletes raise the funds needed to reach our ultimate goal of $100,000!!!

KATY Aquatics is Seeking Candidates for Board of Directors KATY Aquatics is one of the largest swim clubs in the country and extremely successful.

through the sport of swimming, have a positive impact in our community, are nationally recognized swim team for excellence, and are a team where families enjoy swimming & lifetime friendships are

transform and elevate KATY Aquatics Strong analytical and communication skills If you are interested in serving on the Board of Directors for KATY Aquatics, please send an e-mail to

5 KATY Aquatics is Seeking Candidates for Board of Directors KATY Aquatics is one of the largest swim clubs in the country and extremely successful. We are dedicated to realizing our Mission (Provide a world class swimming environment for all swimmers to develop their full potential as athletes and individuals) and Vision (Develop character through the sport of swimming, have a positive impact in our community, are nationally recognized swim team for excellence, and are a team where families enjoy swimming & lifetime friendships are formed). WE NEED YOUR HELP! We are looking to fill three (3) Board positions that will serve a 3-year term beginning in March We are looking for KATY Aquatics members to serve on the Board that have the following profile: Understand, enjoy and passionate about the sport of swimming Willing to dedicate 3-10 hours a month supporting the continued growth and development of KATY Aquatics Possess strong business acumen and/or highly valued skills (CPA, Construction, Attorney, Financial Analysis, Banking) to help transform and elevate KATY Aquatics Strong analytical and communication skills If you are interested in serving on the Board of Directors for KATY Aquatics, please send an to board@katyaquatics.org with your name, a brief biography and telephone number. A member of the Nominating Committee (either Alex Shabet or Travis Sandifer) will contact you regarding next steps. There will be a Membership Meeting in early March to introduce the candidates for the Board positions. The election will open shortly after the Membership Meeting and the poll will remain open for approximately 5 days to allow Members time to vote. Successful candidates will be notified shortly after the poll closes and will begin serving on the Board beginning with the March meeting. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Alex Shabet, Vice President at (832) or Travis Sandifer, Executive Director at (281) Thank you in advance for considering the opportunity to service on the Board of Directors for KATY Aquatics. Swimming with the Big Kids! Two Junior National Team Athletes, Gavin Erdmann and Hanna Huston, attended practices at Cinco Ranch High School in December after their trip to the USA Swimming Junior National Meet in North Carolina. These two athletes took time to demonstrate stroke techniques and race starts with our younger swimmers. They also spoke about their swimming careers, motivations, and their own personal goals in the sport. It was a fun practice for everyone especially the Big Kids!

KATY Aquatics Receives Award from the Texas Public Pool Council The Texas Public Pool Council is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing information and education to aquatic professionals.

KATY Aquatics was invited to the 2014 Texas Public Pool Council Annual Aquatic Conference in San Antonio, Texas on January 7 th to receive an award for our Make A Splash Community Event.

In our vision, Make A Splash is not just about water safety.

In order to obtain this vision, we reach out to other non-profit organizations and invite vendors to partake in our event at no cost.

safety and how to work with local law enforcement agencies in-case of emergencies.

6 KATY Aquatics Receives Award from the Texas Public Pool Council The Texas Public Pool Council is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing information and education to aquatic professionals. Every year, TPPC hosts an annual conference with top flight educational sessions to inspire and motivate aquatic professionals to feel informed and meet the challenges of everyday life at the pool. KATY Aquatics was invited to the 2014 Texas Public Pool Council Annual Aquatic Conference in San Antonio, Texas on January 7 th to receive an award for our Make A Splash Community Event. KATY Aquatics was chosen out of 13 Texas organizations to receive this honor and be recognized for the 2013 Aquatics Special Event of the Year. In our vision, Make A Splash is not just about water safety. It s about sharing the latest information with the families and children in our Katy community on how to keep safe in their neighborhood and healthy at home. In order to obtain this vision, we reach out to other non-profit organizations and invite vendors to partake in our event at no cost. Our partners and vendors share wellbeing information with our patrons on pediatric care, eye care, skin care, dentistry, nutrition, blood pressure, spinal injury, car safety, bicycle safety, fire safety and how to work with local law enforcement agencies in-case of emergencies. Through Grant Funding, KATY Aquatics is able to provide valuable safety information in a FREE, fun and interactive environment with music, games, prizes, and activities for all! Make A Splash is truly an event for children and adults of all ages as we involve the community and have something fun and informative for everyone! KATY Aquatics has made a positive impact in our area and has enhanced our club mission by creating a FREE educational program for the public. Congratulations for such an accomplishment! Our next Make A Splash will be held on May 19 th, KATY Aquatics Swims in San Antonio KATY Aquatics traveled to San Antonio the weekend of January 17th to showcase our Elite talent. This was a great meet for our 14 & Under Swimmers, as this competition provided much opportunity to re-swim events from the fall, showcasing commitment and improvement over time. KATY Aquatics was one out of five teams in attendance and we had great swims by ALL! Our objectives as a coaching staff are to challenge our swimmers in every life endeavor that will equip our youth athletes with the skills to compete on a National Level. Meet Highlights Include: TAGS Qualifiers: Robby Myers and Ewan Mackie Swimmers with AA Times: Rachel Collier, Brandon Guo, Andrew Lee, Ewan Mackie, Robby Myers, and Jace Walker Special Thanks to all of the parents and families for giving their weekend to this group so they could have a great swimming opportunity. GO KATY!!!

VOLUME 4, ISSUE 6 PAGE 7 Shout for Spring Spirit Wear!

KATY Aquatics Polar Water Bottles, and other team gear for the entire family!

CoachAshleigh@KatyAquatics.org Click on the links below to access the Order Forms & Pictures.

placing the orders with our vendors the week of February 17 th.

7 VOLUME 4, ISSUE 6 PAGE 7 Shout for Spring Spirit Wear! Order Forms for the 2014 Spring Spirit Wear items are now available and will be accepted through February 17 th. This is your opportunity to order Personalized Swim Caps, a Team Parka, Team Warm-Up Suits, KATY Aquatics Polar Water Bottles, and other team gear for the entire family! All Order Forms can be faxed to the KATY Aquatics Office at or ed to: CoachAshleigh@KatyAquatics.org Click on the links below to access the Order Forms & Pictures Spring Spirit Wear Order Form Parka Order Form Spirit Wear Picture Catalog *We will be placing the orders with our vendors the week of February 17 th. Accounts will not be charged until all items are in. Please note that not all items on the Spirit Wear order form are posted in the Spirit Wear pictures. Here's a large shout-out to Cole Griffin for his Team Spirit and leading a KATY Chant after Novice A Practice at Cinco!

8 VOLUME 4, ISSUE 1 PAGE 8 KATY Swimmers are all About RIBBONS! Congratulations to all our swimmers who brought home Ribbons at the 8 & Under Champs Meet in December! Having fun and developing a love for the sport of swimming are important key elements of competition. Our Coaches were excited to see many successful swims and are extremely proud of all your hard work at daily practice. We are all looking forward to a successful Long Course Season with young aspiring athletes whose skills and determination will continue to develop and shine in the water!

VOLUME 4, ISSUE 1 PAGE 9 KATY Aquatics & KROGER Perfect Together! Kroger has initiated a new and improved Community Rewards Program where they will be giving away $1.

Starting September 1, 2013, all Kroger Plus cards linked to KATY Aquatics will begin earning funds for our organization based on the percentage of spending by KATY Aquatics members, friends and

The KATY Aquatics Non-Profit Organization number is #84690 and we strongly encourage you to visit the secure website: www.krogercommunityrewards.

9 VOLUME 4, ISSUE 1 PAGE 9 KATY Aquatics & KROGER Perfect Together! Kroger has initiated a new and improved Community Rewards Program where they will be giving away $1.5 million to assist local participating non-profit organizations this year! Starting September 1, 2013, all Kroger Plus cards linked to KATY Aquatics will begin earning funds for our organization based on the percentage of spending by KATY Aquatics members, friends and supporters registered in the Community Rewards Program. REMEMBER, purchases will not count for our organization until supporters register their cards online. The KATY Aquatics Non-Profit Organization number is #84690 and we strongly encourage you to visit the secure website: to link your Kroger Plus card by following these simple steps: 1. Scroll down to till you see Texas and click Enroll Now. 2. You may either sign in with your current account or if you do not have an account already, you may sign up for one. (You can sign up for a Kroger Community Rewards Account by entering a zip code, clicking on a favorite store, enter your address, create a password, and agree to the terms and conditions.) 3. You will get a message to check your inbox and click on the link within the body of the You will click on My Account and use their address and password to proceed to the next step. 5. You will click on Edit Kroger Community Rewards information and input your Kroger Plus card number. 6. You will update or confirm your information. 7. This is where you will enter the KATY Aquatics Number and click on Confirm. REMEMBER, purchases will not count for your group until after you register your card(s). Members must swipe their registered Kroger Plus Card or use their Alt ID when shopping for each purchase to count. Once again, thank you for participating in the Kroger Community Rewards program and for supporting KATY Aquatics! Kroger will not utilize letters with barcodes anymore. This program is designed for non-profit organizations and their participants, friends, supporters and family members. No solicitation to the general public is allowed. KATY Aquatics Competes in 3rd Coast Invitational KATY Aquatics competed in the 3 rd Coast Invitational, hosted by PEAK on January 17th - 19th. This meet offered a unique format for competitors as it was not only a prelims/finals opportunity, but finals were swum in long course (50 meter pool). The typical long course season lasts from April through August, with competitions in short course swum September through March. This long course opportunity allowed athletes to see improvements made since last summer, earn new time standards, and build a stronger base going into the long course season with having the winter exposure. Meet Highlights Include: Athletes earning Swims in Finals: Abbie Alvarez, Alyssa Basaldua, Aria Bernal, Sophia Bernal, Madison Brown, Abril Caridad, Caitlin Kumala, Sarah Lu, Anna NG, Lillian Pennington, Sarah Steffes, Mac Boyle, Clint Foreman, Matt Gaas, Jerry Kurinsky, Michael Liang, Kirill Polovtsev, Andres Saa, Nick Schmid, Wesley Tsai and Sam Woolsey. We would like to congratulate all swimmers on their great performances and for the hard work and consistency applied each day at practice. Keep developing your skills and always strive for excellence!

10 May your Birthday be filled with the warmth of sunshine, the happiness of smiles, the sounds of laughter, and the sharing of good cheer. Fred Angiolillo Logan Arnold Aubrey Bass Alva Bjelland Mac Boyle Andrea Castellanos Abigail Cervantes Racha Cherradi Jesse Crawley Samuel Coraspe Grant Hightower Chloe Ho Hanna Huston Alexander Jin Murphie Price Finley Quinn Hannah Ryan Hannah Schacht Grant Sims Shashwat Singh Emma Williams Sarah Lu Nickole Wunderlich

VOLUME 4, ISSUE 6 PAGE 11 KATY Aquatics 5506 1st Street Katy, Texas 77493 Phone: 281-391-7200 Fax: 281-391-7210 E-mail: info@katyaquatics.

11 VOLUME 4, ISSUE 6 PAGE 11 KATY Aquatics st Street Katy, Texas Phone: Fax: info@katyaquatics.org KATY Aquatics Thanks our Sponsors for their Contributions to the TEAM! Platinum Health One Emergency Care West Campus A Department of West Houston Medical Center Lane Four Swim Shop Spark Energy Speedo KATY Aquatics is an official affiliated Team Gold Hargrove Design Group Oilfield Testing & Consulting Paragon Pools Watch Me Grow Photography Silver The Club at Falcon Point Willow Fork Country Club Bronze Ables Insurance Agency D Amico s Italian Market Café L.E.C.E.T. of Southern Nevada Friends of KATY Aquatics Katy Printers Prosperity Bank

KATY Aquatics 2014 Swim-A-Thon Fundraising Packet

KATY Aquatics 2014 Swim-A-Thon Fundraising Packet Goal: $100,000 100% Team Participation active.com/donate/katyaquatics2014 swimathon@katyaquatics.org 1 Swim-A-Thon FAQ's What is Swim-A-Thon? Swim-A-Thon